A source within the Vatican announced today that Tarcisio Bertone, the most powerful official in the Roman Curia and one of five Cardinals convicted by a Common Law Court of Justice last February, has prepared his letter of resignation.

Cardinal Bertone has been the effective "king maker" at the papacy for many years, and helped force Pope Benedict, Joseph Ratzinger, from office on February 11 just days after an arrest warrant was to be issued against Ratzinger.

According to the Vatican insider,

"Bertone knows that if he's arrested while in office, all of the Vatican archives and his records are subject to seizure, and they can never let that happen. Once he's resigned, he can do like Ratzinger and claim immunity from prosecution as a 'private citizen', something the Lateran Treaty allows. These guys understand the power of the common law court arrest warrant, even if others don't."

Bertone's resignation also coincides with the recent formation of a new Italian movement to expose child torture and trafficking within the Vatican, announced by the ITCCS and Rete L'Abuso in Savona, Italy on May 23.

This campaign will commence on September 20 in Rome with civil disobedience actions and church occupations, and demands to the Italian government to revoke the Lateran Treaty with the Vatican. (see itccs.org, May 24 posting).

ITCCS Field Secretary Kevin Annett is in Europe investigating this latest development.

Further communiques on the impending Bertone resignation and the September 20 campaign will be forthcoming.